August 19, 2025 • 12 mins
Reaction to the news of Jizzle James being dismissed from the UC Men's Basketball Team.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:15):
There we go our number two Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty
Chad Brendel filling in for Mo Eggar. As we get
through a beautiful tuesday, I.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Lost everything in here for a minute. Was that you
or was that on my end? I don't know what happened. Okay,
I just I was grooving and then there was nothing.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Plenty of Bengals and Reds still still coming up here,
but kind of the The breaking news of the moment
Cincinnati's leading returning score Gizzl James. It has been announced
by Wes Miller. Gizzl's been dealing with personal issues throughout
(01:17):
the summer. He's was removed from the team last month.
He's currently not a member of our basketball program. As
this a personal matter. I will have no further comment
at this time. That that comes from Wes Taran has
are a different pair of headphones somewhere around here, like
I think, I think the headphones went out and uh
(01:44):
I got to talk to Kegan nickoson here in a minute,
so uh having headphones would be beneficial. Here's here's what
I can say from what what I know and have
known on this situation. I had to be careful because
it is a obviously a personal matter. If you remember
(02:09):
back to about a month ago, a little over a
month ago, there was some unusual activity on Gisel james
Instagram account, and that unusual activity indicated he was he
(02:31):
was leaving Cincinnati trying to go somewhere else. That was
a couple of days after he had been removed from
the team, and I do believe at that point in
time there was a pathway back if everything went exactly
as designed. And if you've followed on social media, you
(02:57):
will know things have not gone as designed.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The past couple days have been.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Exceedingly disturbing, increasingly disturbing with some of the messages that
have been on Gisel james social media, and it would
seem that that opportunity to work his way back.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Has expired.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So to talk about it, we will go live the
Nippert Stadium today, Kegan, Are you in the IPF where
you at?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We were at Knippery Stadium and then there was some
lightning in the distance, so the advantage of spending one
hundred and thirty four million dollars on the roof facility
came into play and now we're we're in the ips
swash and the rest of practice.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Your reaction.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I know, you know, we've kind of known a little
bit more about this than what has been in the public,
and then you've kind of been tuned in that this
was unfortunately the most likely outcome for a while now.
But now that it's official, now that we have a
state from Wes Miller, your reaction to the news on
Gisel James.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, I think it's unprecedented is the word I would
use for it, because, I mean, you get to summer
and there are times when your roster for the next
season can be great impacted in ninety nine percent of
the times through injury, and then this kind of thing
happens and you don't really know how to feel about it.
I think obviously it brings into question what the team
(04:28):
will look like next year. Just losing a leading scorer,
an offensive leader, someone who seemly was kind of the
glue of the offense. I think that's something that it's
going to worry a lot of fans. But I mean,
before you even get to that, you have to think
about how is he doing mentally, how's he doing physically?
You know, where does he go from here? And you
(04:50):
just have to hope that you know he does the
best thing for him to get back on the track,
get back on the best track in life, not even
worry about basketball, not even worry about out getting back
to the team, but just kind of find some stability
in a time where you're looking for it and you're
searching for it.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean, I without pulling the curtain too far back,
I was having a conversation with the source last night
that is familiar with the subject, and all they could
really say is he's sick.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Man like he's he's sick.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
He needs help, and I hope he gets it because
you know, we've both been around him a lot over
the past two years. He's never been anything but a
good kid to me, always a smile. You know, he
wasn't the most like he was certainly wasn't Troy Copaine
in his dealings with the media. But I never had
(05:43):
an issue with Gisel James, and I wish him the
best and that that he can come out on the
other side of whatever it is that's that's.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Probleming him.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, And I would echo that. I mean, whenever we
talked to him, whether it was after a loss or win,
he was always a pros pro and you could kind
of see it from you know, his lineage and what
his dad did his entire life of being a Hall
of Fame running back. He was kind of bread to
be a professional and that's how he handled himself. And
that's what makes this even more sad because you see
(06:17):
the potential the kid had. You see this ceiling that
he was. You know, he had already hit or he
was still going to hit, just from some of the
performances that he had and kind of how he represented
Cincinnati when he was on the court, and that it
just takes such a seak turn in the matter of
a couple of weeks, a couple of months over the summer,
(06:39):
and now his future is looking a lot different.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, it's it's unfortunate fortunately for us. I guess the
show must go on. How does this impact the basketball program?
You removed Gisel from the equation? Is it still a
team with the type of depth, the type of talent
that we were talking about a month ago?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I in all, I don't think you can say it is.
I think if if you go into the off season
knowing you don't have Gisel James, I think that they
make different moves. Sure in terms of recruiting out of
the portal in terms of maybe even recruiting out of
high school. I'm not going to say that the season
(07:29):
is over. I'm not going to say that they can't
make the NCAA tournament. I think they brought in a
ton of talent, and you know, starting with the true
freshman and Shannabyah the keyshch Ontillery, and we've heard nothing
but good things about keyschan Tillery, and the overwhelming thing
is it's going to be really hard to keep them
off the floor. And to be able to say that
about a true freshman, it gives you some sort of
(07:51):
ease about this whole situation. You still have data Thomas,
who was good last year. I think he was the
leading three point shooter on the team last year. So
you don't really know what an offense looks like with
Dayde Thomas leading it. You don't even know if that's
going to be the case. They're running Kirk Risa who's
an experienced point guard who's led big twelve offenses. But
(08:15):
I'm not going to sit here and say that it's
all going to be okay. You know, it's not like
the football team losing a safety or anything like that
this is what a lot of people would call the
heart and soul of your offense for the past two seasons,
and he was a Cornerston piece. So it's going to
be hard to adjust to and we're going to have
(08:35):
to wait and see how Wes Miller come handles it.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah. The interesting thing I think is Kegan with the
word coming out today that Gisel has not been with
the team for over a month, they at least had
a large portion of their summer program without him, So
when they reconvene here in a week or two, it's
not going to be like this is a shock to
(08:58):
the system that they put in all this work and
then you get to August and all of a sudden
you have to change the way that you were functioning.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, it feels disingenuous to say the word best in
any situation, but it probably did happen at the best
possible time, and that you're not forming your roster, your
game plans, your your lineups around the guy who is
now not with you. So it's much better that it
happened now than in October November, so they can kind
(09:32):
of rebound figure stuff out. And I'll repeat I think
that this team has a ton of talent, but you know,
I can't sit here and say that they're going to
be better without Gisel James.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Right real quick football, How are things going at the
one hundred and forty million dollars indoor practice facility right now?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, it's awesome. It's a really you know, intense practice.
You can kind of feel that the season is nine
days away. Offense or defense seven on seven. A lot
of stuff's going on. So we're getting close. And you know,
everything that we've seen from fall camps has been very exciting.
(10:14):
And you know, I was pretty optimistic about you know,
bringing back Brendon Storers VI, the transfer transfer portal additions.
I was optimistic about that before fall camp, even after springball,
and I'm even more optimistic about what this team can
do after seeing fall and you probably agree. So I'm very,
very much looking forward to it. I don't think I've
(10:35):
looked forward to a football game more in my four
year journalistic career than I am to see them take
on Nebraska Airheadfield. It's going to be a fun one.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Aarhead Stadium, Airhead Stadium, whatever, Yeah, Aheadfield, airhead Field. I'll
I've never been there. We've driven past Arahead Stadium when
we were going to uh watch the Bearcats take on
the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Taren was on the os. It was it was.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Awesome, Tarn and Bob the Rapper. All right, man, I'll
let you get back to practice, but thanks for checking in.
Appreciate it. And uh, where can everybody find you, including
at the best U see coverage location on the planet,
(11:23):
Bearcat Journal dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, well you just said it so barcat journal dot
com also follow me at k nickoson forty two, followed
Chad Brendel, Brent Young, Aaron Smith, David Simone, all those guys,
our new intern Austin Bassome I said it, don't try
to get me. Yeah, but we're doing great stuff, doing
(11:46):
great work, and it's just going to wratch it up
here in the next couple of weeks once football season starts.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
All right, appreciate you, man, see you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
All right, there you go.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Kegan nickoson barcat journal dot com on the Gisel James situation,
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
The young man needs to get some help and for
his sake, I hope that he does.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I hope that he does.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Just take a break. Phone lines are open. No more
guests outside of Tony for the rest of the day.
This is the Moegger Show, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen
There we go our number two Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen thirty
Chad Brendel filling in for Mo Eggar. As we get
through a beautiful tuesday, I.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Lost everything in here for a minute. Was that you
or was that on my end? I don't know what happened. Okay,
I just I was grooving and then there was nothing.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Plenty of Bengals and Reds still still coming up here,
but kind of the The breaking news of the moment
Cincinnati's leading returning score Gizzl James. It has been announced
by Wes Miller. Gizzl's been dealing with personal issues throughout
(01:17):
the summer. He's was removed from the team last month.
He's currently not a member of our basketball program. As
this a personal matter. I will have no further comment
at this time. That that comes from Wes Taran has
are a different pair of headphones somewhere around here, like
I think, I think the headphones went out and uh
(01:44):
I got to talk to Kegan nickoson here in a minute,
so uh having headphones would be beneficial. Here's here's what
I can say from what what I know and have
known on this situation. I had to be careful because
it is a obviously a personal matter. If you remember
(02:09):
back to about a month ago, a little over a
month ago, there was some unusual activity on Gisel james
Instagram account, and that unusual activity indicated he was he
(02:31):
was leaving Cincinnati trying to go somewhere else. That was
a couple of days after he had been removed from
the team, and I do believe at that point in
time there was a pathway back if everything went exactly
as designed. And if you've followed on social media, you
(02:57):
will know things have not gone as designed.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
The past couple days have been.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Exceedingly disturbing, increasingly disturbing with some of the messages that
have been on Gisel james social media, and it would
seem that that opportunity to work his way back.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Has expired.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
So to talk about it, we will go live the
Nippert Stadium today, Kegan, Are you in the IPF where
you at?
Speaker 3 (03:28):
We were at Knippery Stadium and then there was some
lightning in the distance, so the advantage of spending one
hundred and thirty four million dollars on the roof facility
came into play and now we're we're in the ips
swash and the rest of practice.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Your reaction.
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I know, you know, we've kind of known a little
bit more about this than what has been in the public,
and then you've kind of been tuned in that this
was unfortunately the most likely outcome for a while now.
But now that it's official, now that we have a
state from Wes Miller, your reaction to the news on
Gisel James.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
Yeah, I think it's unprecedented is the word I would
use for it, because, I mean, you get to summer
and there are times when your roster for the next
season can be great impacted in ninety nine percent of
the times through injury, and then this kind of thing
happens and you don't really know how to feel about it.
I think obviously it brings into question what the team
(04:28):
will look like next year. Just losing a leading scorer,
an offensive leader, someone who seemly was kind of the
glue of the offense. I think that's something that it's
going to worry a lot of fans. But I mean,
before you even get to that, you have to think
about how is he doing mentally, how's he doing physically?
You know, where does he go from here? And you
(04:50):
just have to hope that you know he does the
best thing for him to get back on the track,
get back on the best track in life, not even
worry about basketball, not even worry about out getting back
to the team, but just kind of find some stability
in a time where you're looking for it and you're
searching for it.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
Yeah, I mean, I without pulling the curtain too far back,
I was having a conversation with the source last night
that is familiar with the subject, and all they could
really say is he's sick.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
Man like he's he's sick.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
He needs help, and I hope he gets it because
you know, we've both been around him a lot over
the past two years. He's never been anything but a
good kid to me, always a smile. You know, he
wasn't the most like he was certainly wasn't Troy Copaine
in his dealings with the media. But I never had
(05:43):
an issue with Gisel James, and I wish him the
best and that that he can come out on the
other side of whatever it is that's that's.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Probleming him.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, And I would echo that. I mean, whenever we
talked to him, whether it was after a loss or win,
he was always a pros pro and you could kind
of see it from you know, his lineage and what
his dad did his entire life of being a Hall
of Fame running back. He was kind of bread to
be a professional and that's how he handled himself. And
that's what makes this even more sad because you see
(06:17):
the potential the kid had. You see this ceiling that
he was. You know, he had already hit or he
was still going to hit, just from some of the
performances that he had and kind of how he represented
Cincinnati when he was on the court, and that it
just takes such a seak turn in the matter of
a couple of weeks, a couple of months over the summer,
(06:39):
and now his future is looking a lot different.
Speaker 2 (06:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Yeah, it's it's unfortunate fortunately for us. I guess the
show must go on. How does this impact the basketball program?
You removed Gisel from the equation? Is it still a
team with the type of depth, the type of talent
that we were talking about a month ago?
Speaker 3 (07:08):
I in all, I don't think you can say it is.
I think if if you go into the off season
knowing you don't have Gisel James, I think that they
make different moves. Sure in terms of recruiting out of
the portal in terms of maybe even recruiting out of
high school. I'm not going to say that the season
(07:29):
is over. I'm not going to say that they can't
make the NCAA tournament. I think they brought in a
ton of talent, and you know, starting with the true
freshman and Shannabyah the keyshch Ontillery, and we've heard nothing
but good things about keyschan Tillery, and the overwhelming thing
is it's going to be really hard to keep them
off the floor. And to be able to say that
about a true freshman, it gives you some sort of
(07:51):
ease about this whole situation. You still have data Thomas,
who was good last year. I think he was the
leading three point shooter on the team last year. So
you don't really know what an offense looks like with
Dayde Thomas leading it. You don't even know if that's
going to be the case. They're running Kirk Risa who's
an experienced point guard who's led big twelve offenses. But
(08:15):
I'm not going to sit here and say that it's
all going to be okay. You know, it's not like
the football team losing a safety or anything like that
this is what a lot of people would call the
heart and soul of your offense for the past two seasons,
and he was a Cornerston piece. So it's going to
be hard to adjust to and we're going to have
(08:35):
to wait and see how Wes Miller come handles it.
Speaker 1 (08:37):
Yeah. The interesting thing I think is Kegan with the
word coming out today that Gisel has not been with
the team for over a month, they at least had
a large portion of their summer program without him, So
when they reconvene here in a week or two, it's
not going to be like this is a shock to
(08:58):
the system that they put in all this work and
then you get to August and all of a sudden
you have to change the way that you were functioning.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Yeah, it feels disingenuous to say the word best in
any situation, but it probably did happen at the best
possible time, and that you're not forming your roster, your
game plans, your your lineups around the guy who is
now not with you. So it's much better that it
happened now than in October November, so they can kind
(09:32):
of rebound figure stuff out. And I'll repeat I think
that this team has a ton of talent, but you know,
I can't sit here and say that they're going to
be better without Gisel James.
Speaker 1 (09:43):
Right real quick football, How are things going at the
one hundred and forty million dollars indoor practice facility right now?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, it's awesome. It's a really you know, intense practice.
You can kind of feel that the season is nine
days away. Offense or defense seven on seven. A lot
of stuff's going on. So we're getting close. And you know,
everything that we've seen from fall camps has been very exciting.
(10:14):
And you know, I was pretty optimistic about you know,
bringing back Brendon Storers VI, the transfer transfer portal additions.
I was optimistic about that before fall camp, even after springball,
and I'm even more optimistic about what this team can
do after seeing fall and you probably agree. So I'm very,
very much looking forward to it. I don't think I've
(10:35):
looked forward to a football game more in my four
year journalistic career than I am to see them take
on Nebraska Airheadfield. It's going to be a fun one.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
Aarhead Stadium, Airhead Stadium, whatever, Yeah, Aheadfield, airhead Field. I'll
I've never been there. We've driven past Arahead Stadium when
we were going to uh watch the Bearcats take on
the Jayhawks in Lawrence, Kansas.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Taren was on the os. It was it was.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
Awesome, Tarn and Bob the Rapper. All right, man, I'll
let you get back to practice, but thanks for checking in.
Appreciate it. And uh, where can everybody find you, including
at the best U see coverage location on the planet,
(11:23):
Bearcat Journal dot com.
Speaker 3 (11:25):
Yeah, well you just said it so barcat journal dot
com also follow me at k nickoson forty two, followed
Chad Brendel, Brent Young, Aaron Smith, David Simone, all those guys,
our new intern Austin Bassome I said it, don't try
to get me. Yeah, but we're doing great stuff, doing
(11:46):
great work, and it's just going to wratch it up
here in the next couple of weeks once football season starts.
Speaker 2 (11:51):
All right, appreciate you, man, see you tomorrow.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 2 (11:55):
All right, there you go.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Kegan nickoson barcat journal dot com on the Gisel James situation,
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
It's unfortunate.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
The young man needs to get some help and for
his sake, I hope that he does.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
I hope that he does.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Just take a break. Phone lines are open. No more
guests outside of Tony for the rest of the day.
This is the Moegger Show, Cincinnati's ESPN fifteen
Mo Egger News
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